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David Ali Sonboly, the Suspected 18-Year-Old Munich Attacker

The attacker, Munich police suggests, could have been influenced by Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik.

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The gunman who killed nine people in a deadly shooting spree at a shopping centre in Munich has been identified by police as David S, but local media has reported that his full name is David Ali Sonboly.

The Munich shooting, in which a further 27 people were wounded, some seriously, was the third act of violence against civilians in Western Europe – and the second in southern Germany – in eight days.

Police has said David S, told conference police were investigating findings suggesting the Munich gunman invited people to a fast food restaurant at the mall via a Facebook account.

We take a deeper look at who Sonobly really was.

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An 18-Year-Old Student Who Battled from Depression

Police say Sonboly, who committed suicide after the incident, was an 18-year-old student, German of Iranian descent, battling depression.

Sonboly, who had 300 bullets with him when he began gunning people down with his unlicensed Glock-17, a semi-automatic pistol, just minutes away from the flat that he shared with his family. He had no previous criminal record.

One of Sonboly’s neighbours in the Maxvorstadt neighbourhood of Munich described Sonboly to the local media said:

The lad was very, very nice. I really can’t say anthing bad about him.

Sonboly had reportedly received psychiatric treatment in the past.

Reports suggest he was born to Iranian parents, a taxi driver father and a mother who worked at a branch of the Karstadt department store. He also had a brother.

The attacker, Munich police suggests, could have been influenced by Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik.
Authorities say David, an 18-year-old German-Iranian student was “deranged” and battled depression. (Photo not verified). (Photo Courtesy: Twitter/@BasimaFaysal)
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Obsessed with Mass Shootings

Investigators searched the German-Iranian man’s home overnight and found a considerable amount of literature about mass killings, including a book on school shooters, but he found no evidence to suggest that he was linked to extremists groups such as the Islamic State.

Authorities have also revealed that the attack by Sonboly was not linked in any way to the recent debate about rising immigration in Germany. All those killed were Munich residents, including seven teenagers.

The attacker, Munich police suggests, could have been influenced by Norwegian far-right terrorist Anders Breivik.

The Munich massacre incidentally took place on the fifth anniversary of Brevik’s mass killings in Oslo and Utoya, in which the far-right terrorist killed 77 people.

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A Victim of Bullying

German Interior Minister De Maiziere has said there were indications the killer had been bullied “by others his age”.

In the killer’s room, police found a German translation of a book entitled Why Kids Kill – Inside the Minds of School Shooters.

Asked if the gunman had deliberately targeted young people, Munich Police Chief Andrae said that theory could be neither confirmed or ruled out.

Seven of the nine people killed in a shooting spree at a Munich shopping mall on Friday were teenagers, including two 13-year-olds. The remaining two were 20 and 45. Six were male and three, female.

(With inputs from Reuters and AP.)

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Topics:  Munich Attack 

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